EIGHT BASIC PRINCIPLES OF THE CONSTITUTION http://www.damchicago.com/us-constitution-01.html

Popular Sovereignty people are the source of governmental power people’s choice – “We the People”

Limited Government government is not all powerful it only has the power and can only do the things the people allow it

Representative Government government should be a delegation, representative of the people leaders should represent the constituency

Separation of Powers government is broken into three distinct and independent branches, yet they are interconnected

Checks and Balances the branches are not completely independent they are tied together under this complex system each branch has certain powers with which it can check the operations and balance the power of the other two

Judicial Review courts have the power to decide what the government does in accordance with what the Constitution provides it refers to determining the constitutionality of a government action

Federalism the powers and activities of government are distributed on a territorial basis (for example, the national government and the states) the federal government can overrule or supersede the state government

Flexibility the Elastic Clause (Article I, Section VIII) and the amendment process (Article V) allows the government to adapt to and change with the times

To make all Laws which shall be necessary and proper for carrying into Execution the foregoing Powers, and all other Powers vested by this Constitution in the Government of the United States, or in any Department or Officer thereof.